Jenna Schmitt

Cassel

ENG 1201

19 February 2021

Analysis of “Take Me to Church” by Hozier and the cover by The Agonist

After the release of “Take me to Church” in 2013, Hozier’s career took off. The Irish

singer-songwriter became an international hit with his song nearly topping the charts in the U.S. The

music video quickly followed the release of the song and it shocked many. The video, now having over

400 million views, brings to light the grueling acts Russia is imposing on those in the LGBT community.

This message they were trying to spread all over the world caught the eye of a Canadian metal band, The

Agonist. This group took the song and put a new spin on it and made it their own. "Take Me to Church"

by Hozier and the cover by The Agonist both portray the same message about homophobia, however, they

each use their own musical styles to get the message across to their different audiences.

The main and initial message Hozier was trying to get through to the audience was the ironicism

of the church against the LGBT community. It is no secret that Hozier often writes and creates music with

religious and literary themes. It is also common for The Agonist’s music style to contain themes

consisting of animal rights, societal dilemmas, and the state of the world. The lyrics from Hozier’s song

state, “Take me to church, I worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies” (00:00:59 - 00:01:04). What

Hozier means by this line is that the church preaches that God loves all his children, but not homosexuals;

the preaching is hypocritical. Hozier is bringing to light the harassment the LGBT community is going

through from the followers of the church. He attempts to show his audience the dark side of the church

that some people are oblivious to. This message made its way to The Agonist, in which they incorporated

their own musical style to further spread the message Hozier had originally intended on. Even though

each artist has their own musical styles that make them them, the message remains the same. The target

audience differs, however, because Hozier is more of an alternative rock/indie pop kind of artist, whereas

The Agonist is a metal band. Hozier appeals to the younger population, where he informs and brings to
light the dark side of homophobia. The Agonist attracts more attention to the metalheads; those who find

comfort and refuge in upbeat, loud music.

While both the artist and band portray the same message, they go about telling it in different

ways. Because Hozier is an indie pop/alternative rock artist, his voice is more soothing and laid back. He

utilizes pathos by using a more sad and intense tone of voice to get through to his listeners that there are

real problems in the world that need more attention. He attempts to tug at his audience’s heart strings so

that they will feel sympathy for the LGBT community.The Agonist, on the other hand, uses a rougher,

angrier tone of voice in order to show they are angry that this is the way the world is now. They spark an

uproar from their audience so the problem will be addressed instead of ignored. Their use of pathos shows

that they want a change and they want it now.

Hozier’s music video for “Take Me to Church” went viral very soon after its release; and for good

reason too. Hozier uses the video to portray his message visually to get a response out of his viewers. The

video takes the viewer through a story about two homosexual men who are involved with each other.

They then get caught and are harassed and assaulted by a group of homophobic people who do not

approve. The video is also entirely in grayscale, further proving what dark times the world is in. The

Agonist, on the other hand, uses their video in a completely different way in order to get their message

across. The Agonist’s music video takes place in a recording studio, where they are all in dark and black

apparel. They mainly utilize dark lighting and different camera angles to create a more dramatic scene for

the viewers to feel more intensely about the topic.

Although Hozier and The Agonist perform the same song, they both put their own musical style

and creative twist on it to get through to their audiences. Hozier likes to use his soulful voice to get

through to his audience that times are tough for homosexual and there needs to be a change. He uses the

aid of his music video to show a visual representation of his song’s purpose which only enhances the

meaning of his song. The Agonist, although only covering the song, put their own spin on it and make it

their own. In addition to the dramaticism of the camera angles and lighting from the music video, the lead

singer uses her fiery voice to show that she is angry that this is how we treat those around us that are
different. Regardless of how the artist or band spreads the message, it is clear that they both want a

change in the world, the church in particular, that will be accepting of everyone.
 Works Cited

“Take Me to Church.” Youtube, uploaded by Hozier, 25 March 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=PVjiKRfKpPI

“Take Me to Church.” Youtube, uploaded by Napalm Records, 18 January 2017, https://www.youtube.co

m/watch?v=WN9pwVeAFDE